Channel crawler and method of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12515815-B2
Application number	US-202418434045-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2024
Priority date	Feb 6, 2024
Publication date	Jan 6, 2026
Grant date	Jan 6, 2026

Abstract

A channel crawler has a carriage, a stabilizing mechanism, and a deployment mechanism. The carriage has wheels configured to engage surfaces that define a channel through which the carriage is configured to move. The stabilizing mechanism is configured to extend from the carriage and engage a non-horizontal surface of the channel in a manner restricting unintended movement of the carriage in one or more directions. The deployment mechanism is configured to fit within the carriage when retracted, and selectively deploy an operational device from a stowed position within the carriage to a deployed position outside the channel for performing an operation in relation to at least one of structure and hardware proximate the channel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A channel crawler, comprising:
a carriage having wheels configured to engage surfaces that define a channel through which the carriage is configured to move; a stabilizing mechanism configured to extend from the carriage and engage a non-horizontal surface of the channel in a manner restricting unintended movement of the carriage in one or more directions; and a deployment mechanism configured to fit within the carriage when retracted, and selectively deploy an operational device from a stowed position within the carriage to a deployed position outside the channel for performing an operation in relation to at least one of structure and hardware proximate the channel.

2 . The channel crawler of claim 1 , wherein:
the carriage has a carriage upper side; the wheels include vertical wheels configured to engage a channel lower surface; the stabilizing mechanism comprises one or more selectively-extendible stopper arms configured to engage one or more non-horizontal surfaces of the channel and arrest movement of the carriage relative to the channel; and the deployment mechanism is configured to raise the operational device up from the carriage upper side.

3 . The channel crawler of claim 2 , wherein:
the vertical wheels are omnidirectional wheels configured to allow lateral movement of the carriage for accommodating directional changes in the channel.

4 . The channel crawler of claim 1 , wherein:
the carriage has a carriage lower side; the wheels include vertical wheels and horizontal wheels configured to respectively engage a channel lower surface and a channel first side surface of the channel; the stabilizing mechanism comprises a diagonally-mounted element configured to engage a channel second side surface in a manner urging the horizontal wheels against the channel first side surface for restricting vertical movement of the carriage relative to the channel; and the deployment mechanism is configured to lower the operational device down from the carriage lower side.

5 . The channel crawler of claim 4 , wherein the diagonally-mounted element comprises one of the following:
an outwardly-biased diagonal wheel configured to roll along the channel second side surface; or an outwardly-biased diagonal slider arm configured to slide along the channel second side surface.

6 . The channel crawler of claim 1 , wherein:
one of the wheels is a drive wheel configured to propel the channel crawler through the channel.

7 . The channel crawler of claim 6 , wherein:
at least one of the drive wheel, the stabilizing mechanism, the deployment mechanism, and the operational device is operated via at least one of preprogrammed instructions and remote control.

8 . The channel crawler of claim 1 , wherein:
the operational device comprises a camera configured to capture images of the at least one of a structure and hardware proximate the channel.

9 . The channel crawler of claim 1 , wherein the deployment mechanism comprises one of the following:
a crane mechanism having a cable configured to lower the operational device from the carriage; a robotic arm configured to raise the operational device from the carriage.

10 . An inspection system, comprising:
an upper channel crawler, comprising:
an upper channel carriage having a carriage lower side and wheels configured to engage opposing side surfaces of an upper channel through which the upper channel carriage is configured to move;
a crane mechanism configured to lower an upper camera from the carriage lower side into a space between the upper channel and a lower channel;
a lower channel crawler, comprising:
a lower channel carriage having a carriage upper side and wheels configured to engage a lower surface of the lower channel through which the lower channel carriage is configured to move; and
a robotic arm configured to raise a lower camera from the carriage upper side for inspecting portions of the space that are outside a field of view of the upper camera.

11 . A method, comprising:
moving a carriage through a channel via wheels engaging surfaces that define the channel; extending a stabilizing mechanism from the carriage and into engagement with a non-horizontal surface of the channel in a manner restricting unintended movement of the carriage in one or more directions; deploying an operational device from a stowed position within the carriage to a deployed position outside the channel using a deployment mechanism configured to fit within the carriage when retracted; and performing an operation in relation to at least one of structure and hardware proximate the channel using the operational device in the deployed position.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein moving the carriage through the channel, extending the stabilizing mechanism, and deploying the operational device from the stowed position respectively comprise:
engaging vertical wheels of the carriage to a channel lower surface of the channel; extending one or more stopper arms into engagement with one or more non-horizontal surfaces of the channel in a manner arresting movement of the carriage relative to the channel; and raising the operational device up from a carriage upper side and out of the channel using the deployment mechanism.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein moving the carriage through the channel further comprises:
moving the carriage in a lateral direction using the vertical wheels configured as omnidirectional wheels for accommodating directional changes in the channel.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein moving the carriage through the channel, extending the stabilizing mechanism, and deploying the operational device from the stowed position respectively comprise:
engaging vertical wheels and horizontal wheels to surfaces on a first side of the channel; engaging a diagonally-mounted element to a surface on a second side of the channel in a manner urging the horizontal wheels against the first side and restricting vertical movement of the carriage relative to the channel; and lowering the operational device down from a carriage lower side and out of the channel using the deployment mechanism.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein engaging the diagonally-mounted element to the surface on the second side of the channel comprises one of the following:
biasing a wheel into rolling engagement with the surface; or biasing a slider arm into sliding engagement with the surface.

16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein moving the carriage through the channel comprises:
propelling the carriage through the channel using one of the wheels configured as a drive wheel.

17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein at least one of moving the carriage through the channel, extending the stabilizing mechanism, deploying the operational device, and performing the operation is performed via at least one of preprogrammed instructions and remote control.

18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein performing the operation using the operational device comprises:
capturing images of the at least one of structure and hardware using a camera.

19 . The method of claim 11 , wherein deploying the operational device from the stowed position comprises one of:
raising the operational device up from a carriage upper side and out of the channel using a robotic arm; lowering the operational device down from a carriage lower side and out of the channel using a crane mechanism.

20 . The method of claim 11 , wherein moving the c

Assignees

• Boeing Co
• Univ Washington

Inventors

• Dong Shuonan
• Studley Silas
• Bray Keegan
• Ahn Jonathan
• Marquette Wade
• Schultz Kyle
• Jonnalagadda Naga Vamsi Krishna
• Wong Benjamin
• Garbini Joseph
• Devasia Santosh

Classifications

• B25J5/02

  travelling along a guideway · CPC title

• B64F5/40

  Maintaining or repairing aircraft · CPC title

• B64F5/60 Primary

  Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems · CPC title

• B25J5/007 Primary

  mounted on wheels · CPC title